Yanagi Too

For those of you who love sushi but don't love the check when it arrives at your table, I have a treat for you. Thanks to Facebook I have been in contact with lots of friends from school and previous jobs. Today I met Amber, a fellow Calaveras High School alum. She happened to see one of my blog updates and insisted I try her favorite sushi spot.

When I pulled up and parked out front of Yanagi Too, it was love at first sight. Totally a hole in the wall kinda joint, my kinda joint. When you walk in there is a giant menu, and also pictures of their assorted rolls.


As you can see, their prices are very reasonable. That's because this is a deli type of set up. You walk up to the counter, place your order, pay and have a seat. Plus as an added bonus, you are not expected to tip, hey that extra cash means more raw fish for me to enjoy.

Since I was already dollars ahead, I wanted to try and stay under $20, I asked what their most popular roll was. Turns out is was one that I was contemplating anyways, it's called the Bollinger Roll. Included inside was Tempura Shrimp, Cucumber, Crab, and on the outside was Avacado and Salmon. Topping it off was tobiko, Unagi sauce and a sweet "House" sauce.

Clockwise from bottom right Bollinger Roll, Seaweed Salad, Tempura Shrimp, and California Roll.

The Bollinger roll was delicious, the fish was fresh, the roll was good size and the sauces were superb. I also ordered seaweed salad and a cup of miso soup. The seaweed salad was on the small side and was served on a bed of iceberg lettuce (if I was the seaweed I would be insulted).

Amber enjoying her Miso.

She also ordered the tempura shrimp, and a California roll. Amber is a self proclaimed "fake" sushi eater. A "Sushi Poser" if you will, she only eats rolls that include cooked fish. Her favorite is the California roll, I rolled my eyes a little at first, but I must admit, Yanagi Too puts a great spin on this classic "beginner" roll by including plenty of spicy sauce on top.



If you are interested in sushi on the cheap, ditch the supermarkets and head to Yanagi Too.

You can find them at:

1061 Market Pl, San Ramon, CA 94583